Question about writing resumes and cover letters?
I want to write a resume and a cover letter, but I am trying to make it VERY general so that it can work with virtually any position I apply for. I do not know exactly how to make the writing in the resume and cover letter broad so that it can be interesting to all the prospective employers, is this even possible? Does it look better to have a more specific resume and cover letter towards the job you are applying for?
Instead of making broad, generalized statements, a resume and cover letter should reflect the position you are seeking.
Some larger companies receive so many resumes that they scan them into the computer and have the software pick out key words–the resumes that don’t contain those words are weeded out.
It is a lot more work to do it this way, but employers need to see that your experience and training are relevant to the position they advertised, otherwise your resume may not even be seen.
Good luck
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5 comments to Question about writing resumes and cover letters?
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It’s hard to make one super broad like that. I created three different ones tailored towards similar types of jobs: one for clerical or office work, one for writing, and one for retail management. If you can narrow down the types of jobs you’re looking for and group them that way, that could help.
Cover letters suck to write, but they should be tailored to each job you apply for. You can re-use some of the sentences and ideas, but each should point out how you can apply your skills to their company. Companies want to know that you’re interested in them specifically. Read up on their websites and reword their company values back to them.
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Instead of making broad, generalized statements, a resume and cover letter should reflect the position you are seeking.
Some larger companies receive so many resumes that they scan them into the computer and have the software pick out key words–the resumes that don’t contain those words are weeded out.
It is a lot more work to do it this way, but employers need to see that your experience and training are relevant to the position they advertised, otherwise your resume may not even be seen.
Good luck
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In my humble opinion, and experience, it is better to have resumes and cover letters tailored to a specific job, rather than mass broadcasting.
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I recently answered a similar question this way and it may apply to you. My apologies for sending you recycled info. One additional comment though, you cannot write a form letter that sounds uniquely personal and interesting to a diverse audience and nor should you ever try.
I have waded through a few resumes for various positions and can tell you a couple of tips that sell.
1. Always address the letter to a person. You found out their name (and correct spelling) when you rang them to ask some further sensible details on the job.
2. Always have a covering letter, half page is usually heaps.
3. Only ever send a resume that is one page. That means half of two or one third of three. It is also less than one and a bit.
4. Always ring the day after they got the resume to make sure they got it and ask what they think.
5. Always ring if you are unsuccessful and thank the person for the opportunity and ask what you would need to do or have next time to succeed. At least then you learn something from the experience.
If you send out hundreds of resumes you might get a job. It would be pretty lucky if it was a great job. Take the time with each one. Treat it like you really want and need it and are doing something smart and positive about your future, because, guess what?
Good luck, Jackson.
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* List your technical knowledge first, in an organized way. Your technical strengths must stand out clearly at the beginning of your resume. Ultimately, your resume is going to be read by a thoughtful human being, but before it gets to that point it often has to be categorized by an administrative clerk, and make its way past various sorts of key word searches. Therefore, you should list as many directly relevant buzz words as you can which reflect your knowledge and experience. List all operating systems and UNIX flavors you know. List all programming languages and platforms with which you’re experienced. List all software you are skilled with. Make it obvious at a glance where your strengths lie – whether the glance is from a hiring manager, a clerk, or a machine.
* Never work alone–pay attentions on the social-network. The social-network is fatal factor for your work present and future, the social-network is the your connections in the society, it can be your parent,friend,classmate,colleagues etc.Good scoial-network can improve your efficiecy, not only on the work itself but also good for your entire future career path.(job-hunting, recruit, professional personal development,life and work advice etc.<a href="http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkmPLtLlH0mQB31xXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFlcm5yMzlpBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA00wMDFfOTEEbANXUzEEcXQDZHE-/SIG=11koug7bg/EXP=1203439179/**http%3a//www.insidersreferral.com/
">The Free Insiders Referral Network of Jobs – insidersreferral.com</a> is such tool for your to build such useful network.To expand and enhence your social-network and make it more useful, just go and check it up.
* Quantify your experience wherever possible. Cite numerical figures, such as monetary budgets/funds saved, time periods/efficiency improved, lines of code written/debugged, numbers of machines administered/fixed, etc. which demonstrate progress or accomplishments due directly to your work.
* Begin sentences with action verbs. Portray yourself as someone who is active, uses their brain, and gets things done. Stick with the past tense, even for descriptions of currently held positions, to avoid confusion.
* Don’t sell yourself short. This is by far the biggest mistake of all resumes, technical and otherwise. Your experiences are worthy for review by hiring managers. Treat your resume as an advertisement for you. Be sure to thoroughly "sell" yourself by highlighting all of your strengths. If you’ve got a valuable asset which doesn’t seem to fit into any existing components of your resume, list it anyway as its own resume segment.
* Be concise. As a rule of thumb, resumes reflecting five years or less experience should fit on one page. More extensive experience can justify usage of a second page. Consider three pages (about 15 years or more experience) an absolute limit. Avoid lengthy descriptions of whole projects of which you were only a part. Consolidate action verbs where one task or responsibility encompasses other tasks and duties. Minimize usage of articles (the, an, a) and never use "I" or other pronouns to identify yourself.
* Omit needless items. Leave all these things off your resume: social security number, marital status, health, citizenship, age, scholarships, irrelevant awards, irrelevant associations and memberships, irrelevant publications, irrelevant recreational activities, a second mailing address ("permanent address" is confusing and never used), references, reference of references ("available upon request"), travel history, previous pay rates, previous supervisor names, and components of your name which you really never use (i.e. middle names).
* Have a trusted friend review your resume. Be sure to pick someone who is attentive to details, can effectively critique your writing, and will give an honest and objective opinion. Seriously consider their advice. Get a third and fourth opinion if you can.
* Proofread, proofread, proofread. Be sure to catch all spelling errors, grammatical weaknesses, unusual punctuation, and inconsistent capitalizations. Proofread it numerous times over at least two days to allow a fresh eye to catch any hidden mistakes.
* Laser print it on plain, white paper. Handwriting, typing, dot matrix printing, and even ink jet printing look pretty cheesy. Stick with laser prints. Don’t waste your money on special bond paper, matching envelopes, or any color deviances away from plain white. Your resume will be photocopied, faxed, and scanned numerous times, defeating any special paper efforts, assuming your original resume doesn’t first end up in the circular file.
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